A "dam" good time

Last week we ventured over to the Hiwassee Dam, only about a 25 minute drive from where we are. We had heard that it was cool to see because the water on one side of the dam is so much higher than on the other side. As we stood on the bridge and looked down on the low side, I got that nervous feeling in my stomach because we were up so high! I wouldn't even walk out to the middle of the bridge, and I kept telling Ryder and Harper to stay way back from the railing. But the views were beautiful!

Yikes! That is a long way down!

Here is where I stopped and watched Andrew and the big kids walk the bridge.

the lake on the high side

Shepherd was so excited to see the geese! He waved at them, probably thinking E.J. the duck had multiplied. 

I need to get this boy some sunglasses! 😎

walking on the low side beneath the dam

We were standing up on that bridge just moments earlier! Ryder and Harper both realized that if it weren't for the dam, we would have been underwater in this shot. That was a weird feeling!

The campground owners have recruited Ryder and Harper to help out with the baby goats, and it has been wonderful! The goats are only 5 or 6 weeks old, and their mama goat pretty much rejected them, so they need to be bottle-fed right now until they eat more solids. There are also two other baby goats (cousins to the first pair) that need to be socialized, and the owners just don't have enough hours in the day to spend time with the goats and still run their business during the busy summer season. So Ryder and Harper go over to the goat pen at 9, noon, and 3 each day to do the feedings and play with the goats. It is a big responsibility, but they absolutely love it and are learning so much! Andrew ordered them a book about goats, and Ryder has gone online and done more research just because he wants to! We call them the "goat whisperers" now.

Ryder is feeding Will, and Harper is feeding Trouble. Will was a runt that almost didn't make it, so he earned his name because he obviously had the will to survive.

 

These goats are like affectionate little puppies!

This is where Harper spends most of her time these days...at the catch and release fishing pond. 

One of our campground neighbors french-braided Harper's hair, and it was so pretty! I tried to recreate it a couple of days later, but I'm still learning and it was pretty loosey-goosey.

Two afternoons in a row we had heavy downpours with hail. Ryder and Harper had fun catching the hail and playing in it while wearing their bicycle helmets. 😝

Andrew groomed his beard last week, and we couldn't believe how bushy it had gotten! Harper was sad, and Shepherd just kept staring at him like he couldn't quite figure out what was different. We reassured the kiddos that it will grow back!

Shepherd waved at this butterfly during one of our walks around the campground.

Oh boy! A bowl of water to play in!

Here, Garcia. I made you some stone soup. Hope you like it!

fresh trout on the grill

Harper caught her first bass! Ryder helped her hold it for the picture because it was a little awkward to hold onto.

When life hands you lemons...

I am not sure what to title this post or even how to begin writing it, so I'll just dive in. The past couple of years have been full of challenges and obstacles, and life has just not gone according to plan. My plan, that is. I have to believe that God has bigger and better things in store for us, but it is extremely difficult for me, the planner, to not know exactly how things are going to work out.

A couple of months ago when Andrew was laid off, we made the decision together to head to Wisconsin and start fresh. But what we didn't know was that the job hunt wouldn't be successful. So many businesses are either closed or experiencing hiring freezes that the interview process either couldn't take place or dragged on forever. We didn't know that all of the campgrounds would be closed until at least June because of the pandemic, and we didn't realize that the majority of them close for the season on October 1st because of the cold winters. To financially get back on our feet again, we need more than just a handful of months to find jobs and save up some money. The more we crunched numbers and explored all of our options, it just wasn't going to work. And that was not a realization that I accepted easily. In my mind I was going to live closer to my family and be able to see them more than once or twice a year. I literally grieved over that like it was a tangible loss. I was sad about how things 'could have been'. Life can be so unfair. So now what? Where do we go?

Andrew and I individually had the same thought in the back of our minds but didn't know it until one of our nightly brainstorming sessions when we said it out loud. North Carolina. We have vacationed there, own property there, and absolutely love the area. The winters are mild, so campgrounds are open year-round. We can live in our Airstream as long as necessary much more affordably than renting a house somewhere. There are just more opportunities there for us given our current circumstances.

So our family of 5 (plus a dog!) is going to live in our Airstream for a while. Yes, it's a leap of faith, unconventional, and probably even a little crazy, but so is everything in our world right now. One thing Andrew and I want to teach our kiddos is that when life is hard or throws you for a loop, what is important is that you have the flexibility to adapt and overcome. We are looking at this next chapter as an adventure, and we are in it together. Will we still have struggles? Of course. Will there be times I want to pull my hair out because we are living on top of each other? Absolutely. But I'm focusing on the positives right now, taking it one day at a time, and trusting that things will fall into place.

We repacked our cars and Airstream and left my parents' house on Memorial Day. We decided to drive short days and stay at a couple of campgrounds on our way, which was a much more relaxing way to travel and made it feel like a vacation for us.

Campground #1: Prairie Pines in Illinois
This campground had a relaxed, park-like feel to it. There was plenty of green space for Shepherd to crawl around on, and the circle drive around the campground was paved so the big kids could ride their bikes. There was also a loop of sidewalk that had a few "hills", and Ryder pretended he was racing around a dirt bike track. We spent two nights here and really enjoyed being outside in the beautiful weather.

The campground is on a former Air Force base, and this was one of the airplane hangars.

We had a beautiful shaded site thanks to a cluster of huge trees.

Harper was happy to be out of the car and climbing!

I'm thirsty! Do you have any drinks in here?

Shepherd had the best time exploring and getting dirty.

Harper picked some wildflowers for me to decorate our picnic table.

Campground #2: Tween the Lakes (outside Paducah, KY)

This campground was super easy to get to right off the interstate, but it was more of a parking lot for RV's. All of the sites were paved, so there wasn't a lot of grass between one camper and the next. It was fine for our 2-night stay, but I wouldn't have wanted to stay longer because there really wasn't any outdoor living space. The best part of this campground is that the county trail system begins just past the campground entrance. We went for a few different walks and really enjoyed the shaded paths through the woods!

I enjoyed this view from our Airstream of the main road into the campground.

Yellow rice everywhere!!

So delicious!

I know there is more in here!

Harper picked a wildflower to wear in her hair. That wasn't all she brought home though. Apparently she, Andrew, and Garcia walked through some tick-infested grass. They were teeny-tiny baby ones, and we found several on Harper, including in her belly button! Garcia was the main carrier though, and thankfully his new flea/tick collar killed off the ones we didn't see within a day or so. I still get the heebie-jeebies thinking about it! 

working hard to finish up the school year!

spaghetti night!

Um, could I get seconds please? I don't think I smeared enough behind my ears yet.

Final destination: Persimmon Creek Campground

We're home! We drove for 5 hours that day and arrived around dinner time, hence Shepherd's "I want no part of this" face.

Our long-term site wasn't available until June 1st, so for three nights we stayed at one of the overflow sites. 

Harper caught a trout but wasn't quite ready to touch it.

watching Ryder and Harper fish at the pond

We stopped Ryder and Harper at 3 fish each since you have to pay per pound for what you catch. We seasoned and grilled two of them that night to make fish tacos for dinner, and they were delicious! The rest are in the freezer for another time. 

We taught Ryder that if you hold your fish way out in front of you, it looks bigger in the picture. 😊

watermelon time!

Shep tried watermelon for the first time, and of course he loved it!

Bathing Shepherd in the sink is much easier than trying to wrangle him in our shower stall, where he climbs around everywhere. 

Harper enjoyed some alone time by the pond.

Harper and Ryder love splashing around in the creek that runs through the campground. It is especially refreshing on a hot day!

I'm not sure if they were trying to float or do push-ups, but it was entertaining to watch.

Harper found this cracked black walnut shell and said, "Look, I'm a pig!" 

our long-term site

We even have some backyard space behind the Airstream. It's nice to have a little privacy when we're eating dinner outside or sitting around the fire pit. 

We found an amazing swimming hole at Fires Creek Falls, and it's only about 25 miles from us. It's a trout creek that runs through the mountains, and it is beautiful! We've been twice now, and the kids have decided it is their favorite place to go.

At first Shep wasn't sure what to think of the cold water on his feet, but before long he was happily sitting and splashing in it! Now we just need to get him a bathing suit so he doesn't soak an outfit each time.

rocks + water = so much fun!

I love her face in this picture! 

Ryder is at the age where he doesn't like to have his picture taken, ever. So we have to be very discreet now and just get candid shots when we can! 

My turn on the inner tube!

Shepherd had the best time picking up rocks and dropping or throwing them down so they splashed in the water. He managed to avoid smashing his toes somehow! 

He had just tried putting a rock in his mouth, which explains the dirt smeared by his lips.

wading through the creek at our campground

Andrew and Harper picked out the most ginormous sun tea pitcher I have ever seen! It will hold 5 gallons, but I only make about 2 gallons at a time. Tastes like summer!

Harper asked to dye her hair with Kool-Aid again, so she soaked her pigtails while doing some school work. A package of baby wipes made the perfect chin rest for her.

Shepherd is obsessed with a duck named E.J. who lives here at the campground. When Shep spots E.J., he points and then pants like he does when he sees a dog. He even waves at him! 😂 We take short strolls around the ponds and creek every day and sing "E.J., where are you?" Shepherd mimics our singsong voice, and we swear he says "E.A." Now we just need to work on the fact that E.J. is not a dog but a duck who says quack quack. 

I think E.J. was showing off for me when I took his picture!